Dozens of veterans and their families gathered on Sunday in Chicago's Little Village for a ceremony coordinated by the Italian American community. "We celebrate and remember under one flag, and remember our African American, Jewish American, Latin American, Asian American, European American and all other heroes, and their bravery, dedication and co...

A Salute to Italian American Veterans on the 75th Anniversary of the Veterans Monument at Arrigo Park (Chicago, IL) will take place Sunday, May 30, 2021. The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA) along with the Italian American Veterans Museum, and the Italian American War Veterans, will honor four World War II Veterans as part of the...

Cook County Commissioner Stanley Moore said Monday that before a vote can be taken on whether the county should change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, major tribes in the U.S. should “acknowledge their role in the rich history of Black slaves.” Moore, who said he is a direct descendant of a Choctaw Freedman, said tribes have unfairly denie...

The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans will host a special tribute in honor of Italian-American veterans over the Memorial Day weekend. The event will be co-sponsored by the Italian American War Veterans and the Italian American Veterans Museum. An 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, May 30, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii will be followed by a so...

On March 14, 1891, 11 Sicilian immigrants who had been falsely accused of murdering the police chief of New Orleans were shot and hung by a mob of thousands in the largest mass lynching in American history. The 130th anniversary of that dark day was marked in Chicago with a moving commemoration in Arrigo Park hosted by the Joint Civic Committee of...

The Chicago Park District says it had the authority to remove a Columbus statue from a Near West Side park, despite an Italian American organization’s argument that a decades-old agreement proves it should have been consulted first. Park District spokeswoman Michele Lemons’ statement that “the District maintains it was within its rights to temporar...

The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA) said Mayor Lightfoot and the City of Chicago removed Christopher Columbus statues this past summer without jurisdiction. Attorneys for the JCCIA said they found paperwork from over fifty years ago, which included a signed agreement that stated, "The Park District will, in perpetuity, obtain the...

After a Freedom of Information Act request to the Chicago Park District (CPD) about the Christopher Columbus statues removed this past summer, attorneys for The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA) found a plethora of paperwork signed over fifty years ago. Included was a signed agreement that in essence states, “The Park District will...

Pasquale Gianni is the president of the Avanti Club. The Avanti Club is an organization for young Italian Americans. The club is an affiliate of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, or JCCIA.  The Avanti Club is for young people interested in networking, meeting new people, or who just want to get more involved in their Italian American...

Crediting the JCCIA with setting him on his life’s path, Ron Onesti is looking to return the favor as the organization’s incoming president. At awards ceremonies, it’s not uncommon for recipients to well up as they recall those who helped them earn their place at the podium. Installations of officers tend to be more stoic affairs, but there Ron One...